The Real Folk Blues
by AnimeLuvr12
Summary: Halifax Foster, a woman with a troubled past, seems to like her new life on the Bebop. And being with Spike just makes everything better. But when Julia reappears and Spike goes on a wild goose chase, Halifax is left with nothing but one choice.
1. Chapter 1

**_The Real Folk Blues_**

_Chapter One: Never Letting Go  
><em>

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or any CB characters. I do, however, own my OC (Halifax Raye Foster). Credit for the title goes to the creators of CB.

Author's Note: I wrote this a couple of years ago, back when I was in middle school and quite the angsty little pre-teen. I'm sorry if this sucks. To be honest, I think it's kind of terrible, but I'd like to share this with everyone so they can see what how I used to write.

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><p>Name: Halifax 'Hal' Foster<p>

Age: 24 (Assuming that Spike is about 28)

Background: When Faye ran away the first time, she found Halifax in an alley, lying there on death's doorstep. After taking her to the hospital, Faye brought Halifax back to the Bebop. Spike and Halifax didn't get along at first, but they became really close after they shared their personal histories.

Appearance: Halifax has dark blue, almost purple/black hair that reaches down to her mid-back, and dark purple eyes. She wears a pair of translucent dark purple safety glasses. Her outfit consists of an orange long-sleeved cardigan that goes down to her rib cage and plain black camisole over a pair of black spandex sliders. She wears black Converse-type sneakers. Halifax is skinny, about Faye's height, and she has a clear, lightly tan complexion.

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><p>"Spike, I don't think it's fair that I'm the one who's never run away and yet I have to watch Jet!" I yelled as I stomped towards Spike. "Faye isn't back yet, Hal! Once she is, she will be the one to watch Jet. I promise…" Spike said calmly as he moved closer to me, "You can't expect Faye Valentine to be responsible, she doesn't account for her actions. That's why I don't like her. That's why I like you instead." I giggled and wrapped my arms around Spike. "Of course, Spike. But if it wasn't for Faye being irresponsible, I wouldn't be on the Bebop and I wouldn't even be alive right now. You have to give her some credit." Spike nodded as he leaned in to kiss me, "I guess she gets brownie points there. But she still can't outmatch you." I could feel myself blushing. "Kiss me already Spike, stop stalling…" We shared a passionate kiss as Spike started leading me to his room. "Spike! Call Faye and tell her to get her ass back on the Bebop!" Jet's voice sounded throughout the ship. "Piss off, you wanker!" I screamed. Jet started laughing so hard it sounded like he was going to piss himself. "He knows exactly when we are about to do something, doesn't he Spike?" Spike only replied with a laugh. I blushed scarlet as Spike leaned against the door jam. "Come on Hal, Jet basically knows our every move." I chuckled and put my arms back around Spike's neck. "Just hold me Spike. Hold me and never let me go… I want to be with you forever…" Spike wrapped his arms around me. "I want to be with you too, Hal…" He said a little hesitantly.<p>

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Spike and I sat in the dark control room of the Bebop, watching the ground of a Mars crawl past. The clanking of Jet's cane awoke me from my mild trance. "Are you still in pain?" Spike asked Jet calmly. Jet didn't reply at first but when he did, he only said, "Have you heard the story?" "Huh?" "A man injury his leg during a hunt. He is in the middle of the Savanna, no means to treat the wound. The leg rots and death approaches. Last minute he's picked up by an airplane. He looks down and sees a land of pure white below it, glistening in the light. It's the summit of a snow-capped mountain, the mountain is Kilimanjaro. As he gazes down, he feels the life flowing out of him and he thinks, 'That's where I was headed.'" Both Spike and I were captivated by the story. And?" Jet began again, "I hate stories like that. Men only think about the past right before their death, as if they were searching frantically for proof that they were alive. Turn back. When you and I first met you told me something. You said that you had died once, that you had seen death. Why can't you just let it go? Forget the past…" Spike remained silent for a moment. "There was a woman…"

I quickly charged out of the room. I didn't want to hear about Julia. I hated Julia. 'She turned on Spike, she double-crossed him and yet he stilled loved her. Maybe she was just that kind of person, captivating and admirable, but I don't care! There is nothing in this world that I love more than Spike, but he can't let go of his past, of Julia. I feel like I'm just the filler for a broken heart. It's not fair…' I put my back to the wall and slid down until my butt thumped on the floor. 'Why do humans have to be built with emotions? It would make the world so much easier if we weren't…' I tugged my legs to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Tears cascaded down my cheeks. 'There is so much in the universe that I don't understand and love will always be the one that I can never even close come to knowing.' I heard Spike and Jet coming out of the room from down the hall and I quickly got up. "Hal, Faye is back." I turned and lowered my head so my bangs would cover my eyes. "I don't care about Faye! I don't care about anyone!" Tears were streaming down my face now. Spike started walking towards me. "Don't come near me!" I shouted. Spike looked a little stunned when I lifted my head and the tears were revealed. "What's wrong Hal?" Spike asked. "What's wrong? Is that all you can ask? Well, this is all I can ask! Do you really think that Julia was or is the part of you that you lost somewhere? Do you seriously think that Julia is the part that was missing, the part you were longing for? Was she so important to you that you would throw your life away for her? She double-crossed you, Spike! She double fucking crossed you…" I snapped around and ran down the hall, cutting the turn by an inch and running to the other side of the ship.

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_**3**__**rd**__** Person Point of View**_

Spike tried to run after Halifax but Jet grabbed his arm and silently shook his head, "Let her go Spike, she knows you will always love Julia too." Spike looked down in disbelieve. "Come on Spike, Faye is back. We might as well assess the damage." Spike remained silent as he walked with Jet to meet Faye.

"Ugh… This is not a repair shop, all right Faye? Don't just come back here when you've thrashed your ship." Jet bellowed at Faye. She walked a few steps, "Where is he?" Jet looked confused. "Where's who?" Faye stayed calm. "The guy with the fuzzy hair." Jet put a hand to his face, "Ahhh… Fuzzy hair, huh? Can't you just say you're looking for Spike?" Faye continued to question. "Where is he, Jet?" Jet pointed to the workshop as Faye calmly walked up the small flight of stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**_The Real Folk Blues_**

_Chapter Two: Saying Goodbye  
><em>

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or any CB characters. I do, however, own my OC (Halifax Raye Foster). Credit for the title goes to the creators of CB.

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><p><em><strong>Halifax's Point of View<strong>_

"Wait a minute, Faye. What are you up to? You didn't come just to see Spike, that's for sure." Jet questioned. I didn't hear her reply but I did hear her footsteps as she walked to the other side of the ship. I walked into the central room of the Bebop. My face was stained by tears and my clothes were ruffled. My hair was slightly matted so I ran my fingers through it as they were a substitute comb at the moment. "I must look horrible, Jet." Jet turned and pulled me into a hug. "You never look horrible. Spike will accept you just the way you are." I looked down at the floor. "Jet… All those things he said about Julia… We all know Spike never lies. He was and is still in love with her. I can't change that and no matter how much I try, Spike will always love Julia…" Jet scowled. "Don't talk like that Hal." I broke way from his embrace. "Jet, you know what I just said is true! Don't deny the facts!" I could feel more tears hammering on the dam. "I'm not denying anything and I'm not admitting anything, Hal! You can't alter someone's feelings, I understand that, but I'm not saying that you should forget about him! You two have been together for over two years. You shouldn't expect him to forget about you just because Julia has reappeared. It's been almost eight years since he left the Syndicate and Julia behind. He's moved on. He found new friends, he found new love. Spike knows that Julia is trouble and he should have known that from the beginning. But love is something so powerful that no human being can control it." I nodded, "Jet, you have a point and I understand what you're trying to say. Thank you." I hugged him and dashed out of the room. I was off to the workshop.

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As soon as I walked into the hall where the door of the workshop was located, the Bebop shook like there was an earthquake happening. I tumbled to the ground and cried out in pain. Spike and Faye didn't hear me over the noise of the ship, so I laid there and listened to them talk. "You picked a bad time to come back, Faye." Spike said. Faye snapped back, "You sure you didn't call them here?" Spike rushed to the door. "Yeah, right, or maybe they followed you here. Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later, huh?" Spike gestured. He ran down the opposite side of the hall way, Faye calling after him to wait. 'Looks like I get to miss the action. I better check my ankle. I know I landed on it wrong.' I felt around on my ankle until I hit the tender spot. I winced and put my hand on the wall for support. 'I have to deal with the pain for now. I'll regret this later but here goes!' I ran down the hall and into the holding dock. I saw Faye on the floor looking up at Spike's ship. She was saying something but I couldn't quite hear until I got a bit closer. "She said you'd know what she meant!" Faye cried out. "Well I don't, sorry." Spike replied. "Her name is Julia!" Faye yelled. I gasped really loudly. 'She's looking for Spike!' Spike's eyes went wide as Faye continued. "Someone is trying to kill her, Spike! They're after her!" Either Spike was ignoring Faye or he was frustrated because he called for Jet to open the bay. "SPIKE!" I yelled quickly before Spike rocketed out of there. Spike looked at me with pity. "WHY SPIKE? WHY?" He didn't answer; he just flew out the door in response.

I went up to Faye and slapped her across the face. She fell backwards and landed on the floor. "What the hell, Hal?" I looked at her with disgust. "When you saved me, you said you were giving me a second chance at life. But if I would have known right then that I was going to fall in love with a man who was later just going to run out on me, I would have asked you to shoot me. No hesitation. That moment has come and the only thing I can do is sit here and wait for him to return. Once he sees Julia again, that's it Faye! He won't come back! But I'll still wait for him, and then, when I finally realize that he isn't going to come back, I'll end up ending my own life! My life won't have any meaning after that. My life never had as much meaning as it has these past two years; my parents died in a gate collision, my sister along with them. I turned to bartending to try and keep a roof over my head. When that didn't work out, I ran away. I met a man who played the alto saxophone and he taught me the trades of music. I started playing with him as a part of his act around the local bars. But then he became involved with some guy named Vicious. So I bought my saxophone from him and I ran away again. All was fine until I was ambushed in an alley. I witnessed a murdered and I tried to run away. I was shot and there I lay in the alley dying. But lucky for me, you found me Faye. That was the luckiest break in my life. When you brought me and my belongings to the Bebop, I felt like change had finally come. Spike and I soon fell in love, or so I thought. He was probably just using me. Like I have said before, I felt like the filler for a broken heart. I was right all along."

Faye looked down at the ground in guilt. "Faye, Spike has made his choice. He chose Julia. I have learned that not all things are meant to work out the way you plan them too. Everyone on this ship has a past that we would all like to forget, Ed was the exception. She and Ein are gone now. Ed found her long lost father." The ship shook again as the Bebop was hit by another enemy attack. "I'm taking off, too!" Faye exclaimed. "You can't, one of your main thrusters is totally shot." Jet snapped. "Same difference, if we go down with the ship!" Faye yelled as she hopped into her ship. She fought off the missiles while Spike took out the enemy fighter pilots. One by one small explosions filled the air. After the atmosphere around us quieted down, Spike idled the ship in front of the main command room. "Spike, can you still fly? Don't worry about us, just go." I looked at Jet in shock. I walked up to the window and asked Jet to leave the room. Spike and I gazed at each other for awhile, neither of us speaking. "Spike, I don't understand everything about love, but I do know that it takes time for someone to get over a broken heart. Go see Julia if you must. I'll understand if you and she work everything out. Just don't expect me to be here if you come back... Once you leave, my time starts ticking away… Some stories have a happy ending, others don't. This story is just one of those that is still a work in progress. I'll always love you Spike… Now go..." He looked at me with reluctance. Tears started streaming down my cheeks. I softly placed my hand on the glass. I looked up at Spike one more time. As he flew away, I said one last thing on the communication system. "This is our goodbye, Spike. I'll see ya around Space Cowboy.


	3. Chapter 3

**_The Real Folk Blues_**

_Chapter Three: Time is Ticking Away  
><em>

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or any CB characters. I do, however, own my OC (Halifax Raye Foster). Credit for the title goes to the creators of CB.

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><p>Jet was busy fixing the Red Tail. I was busy thinking about the man I let go. Only hours earlier I let Spike Spiegel chase after another woman. How could I have been so stupid?<p>

At this point, all I did was pace the halls of the Bebop, searching for the answer. And it never came. Ever since Spike left I was confined to only looking at the walls of his room. I slept on the floor of his room. I didn't eat. I rarely got up. I was hoping that if I wished hard enough he could suddenly reappear, but I knew that no matter what I did, he wasn't going to come back. My time in this world was ticking away, like my lifespan was rapidly deteriorating. The sand in the hourglass was slipping into almost nothing but the few grains that remained. I could feel death approaching. I wanted my misery to end. But what if Spike did come back? What if, what if, what if… My future years depreciated into painful days. The hours becoming minutes. The minutes turning into seconds. My past was all I dreamt about, that and Spike. He gave my life meaning after it turned to shit. But my hopes were so high. I was built up upon a pedestal of my own thoughts and when the time finally came, I didn't feel myself falling until I hit rock bottom. All that time I thought I was soaring, but in reality I was actually plunging into my own demise.

I walked in a trance around the Bebop, so deep in thought that I didn't hear anything from the outside world. Spike's voice was all that kept me alive. His deep eyes and sheepish smile, the way he walked, the way he talked… Everything about him made me crazy. His laughter made my heart jump, his voice made my ears ring. When he said my name, it was like nothing else in the world mattered. But feelings only go so far… they can't prevent someone from doing something.

I heard the whir of the Red Tail trying to come to life. My ears were now open to the outside world again. I heard the clicking of Faye's boots and the sound of voices. I leaned up against the wall listening to Faye and Jet talk. "You're a very lucky woman." Jet said calmly. "Yeah, right. My timing was perfect for getting shot at and nearly killed. I'm really on a roll." Faye replied sarcastically. Jet clacked away on the computer. "The Red Tail won't be functional for a while." "You're having some pretty good luck yourself. That Spikey is nothing but trouble…" , Faye paused, "He's probably not coming back. They may have killed him already, ya know?" My breath caught in my throat. Killed? No, Spike couldn't die that easily! He has to still be alive! "It's possible. So what? Want me to go looking for him? Well forget it. He's dealing with his own past. It's his fault." Jet snapped at Faye. Faye's voice became serious. "_You_ told him to go after her." She's right. Jet did tell Spike to chase after Julia.

I heard a ruffle of clothes; I looked around the corner and saw Jet had a hold of Faye's clothing. "My leg is wrecked, my ship is busted, hell yes, he was nothing but trouble and I don't give a damn. He is killing Hal, Faye. Spike is killing her. I'm surprised she is even still alive. In her lifetime, Hal has been through as much as Spike has. Hal is being tortured as we speak because of him! Her life is now a living hell and you expect me to just sit around? I didn't mean for Spike to actually leave Hal behind like he did. Not even a 'Goodbye' or an 'I love you'. He ran away!" Jet's voiced raised to yell. The silence was deafening. They took a few steps away from each other. "So, what kind of woman is she? What's Julia like?" A tear fell down my cheek at the mention of her name. "Ordinary. The kind of dangerous, beautiful ordinary that you just can't leave alone." Faye said in almost a whisper. "I see." "Like an angel from the underworld or maybe a devil from paradise." I screamed. Hot, salty tears streamed down my cheeks as I rushed to get up. I can't sit hear and listen to them talk about Julia! I heard boots banging on the metal as Jet and Faye sprinted after me. I sprinted as fast as my weakened body could take me. But I wasn't fast enough, Faye caught me by the tail of my shirt and slammed me against the wall. "What is wrong with you?" Faye screamed in my face. I cringed and remained silent. "Speak to me!" She raised her gun and pointed it right between my eyes. "Speak up or I'll shoot." She clicked back the safety. "Don't think I won't do it, Hal. You know I will." Jet pushed Faye aside. "What does shooting Hal have to do with anything?" Faye shrugged but she still had a serious face. I slid to the ground and sat there. My head was lowered, my bangs covering my blood-shot eyes. "You want to know what's wrong. I'll tell you what's wrong. My life is in shambles; it's wrecked, ruined, destroyed! Spike has told me he loves me plenty of times but the moment Julia reappears, I don't even exist! Like I was a substitute for the real thing. Julia double-crossed Spike but he still loves her. Who can blame him? She possesses the dangerous, beautiful ordinary charm that every girl desires and I can't compete with that. I'm nobody." I slowly got up and walked into Spike's room, the door closing behind me. I leaned against the door. Tears streaked down my cheeks, washing away the only hope I have left.


	4. Chapter 4

**_The Real Folk Blues_**

_Chapter Four: Once Again  
><em>

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or any CB characters. I do, however, own my OC (Halifax Raye Foster). Credit for the title goes to the creators of CB.

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><p>"Just hold me Spike. Hold me and never let me go… I want to be with you forever…" Spike wrapped his arms around me. "I want to be with you too, Hal." I awoke with a start, I looked around and saw Jet standing in the doorway. "You said his name in your sleep, Hal." Jet said as he looked down at the floor. I held my knees to my chest. "Jet, are we going somewhere?" He nodded and picked me up bridal style, carrying me out of the room.<p>

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Jet and I stood, looking at a wrinkled up old man. He looked Native American, with brown dried up leather skin. His hair was in braids and he was dressed like his ancestors. Sand sifted through his bony, skinny fingers. Jet spoke first. "Where's Spike? Can you help me track him down?" Silence. Then the Native American spoke, his voice deep. "All living things, every being that walks and breathes, each has its own star." Jet and I didn't understand what the point was at all. "Huh?" "When a life is born, a new star appears. That is the guardian star. The star that warms this planet is someone's guardian star, as well. The red star you see over head; the blue star on the horizon. And when a life ends, the star falls and disappears." My breath caught in my throat, I staggered back a step. "No, don't stay that." I murmured. My heart was pounding, my mind racing, and the Native's words replayed in my head. 'And when a life ends, the star falls and disappears.' No… "You, Running Rock…" Jet snapped at him, "That's not my name. Don't call me that." The Native was unphased. "His star is about to fall. I have dreamed it" I staggered back another step, my eyes wide in horror. "This is ridiculous. What am I doing here?" Jet asked himself. My heart hammered at my ribs. No. No. No. No. "NO!" I screamed out. "Do not fear death. Death is always at our side. When we show fear, it jumps at us faster than light, but if we do not show fear, it casts its eye upon us gently and then guides us into infinity." Silence donned on us again. My mind was still racing. What if Spike was really dead? What if he was dying right now? I jumped towards the Native and held him by his collar. "Tell me where Spike is! Tell me right now!" The Native just stood still. "He will come back." My eyes softened. "Hal! Let him go." Jet called out after me as he walked away from the campsite. I dropped the Native and walked out, leaving behind the doubt and reining towards the hope.

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This time I didn't sleep on Spike's floor, I lay in his bed. His smell still lingered on the sheets and pillow as I crawled onto the bed. I nestled myself right in the midst of the bed and sat there, clutching his pillow. I cried for what seemed like the millionth time. My hopes and doubts rained down. I cried until there were no more tears. I silenced myself for a moment when I heard voices. "That voice…. SPIKE!" I jumped up and tripped over myself just to get to the door. I darted down the hallway but stopped short when I reached the door. He and Jet were still speaking. "This food taste terrible, as usual." I smiled, Jet's cooking was never the best but we still survived. "For being so bad, you sure eat a lot of it." Jet said as he lit a smoke. "They say hunger is the best spice." Spike mused. Jet chuckled. "Ever heard this story? There once was a tiger-striped cat. This cat died a million deaths, revived, and lived a million lives, and he was owned by various people who he didn't really care for. The cat wasn't afraid to die. Then one day, the cat became a stray cat which meant he was free. He met a white female cat and the two of them spent their days together happily. Well, years past and the white cat grew weak and died of old age. The tiger-striped cat cried a million times, and then he died, too. Except this time, he didn't come back to life." I sat there, thinking of the story Spike just told. Was he talking about himself and Julia? "Yeah, it's a good story." Jet said calmly. "I hate that story. I never liked cats. You know that." "Oh, yeah. That's right." Jet responded. They both burst into laughter. Spike's sweet voice calmed me so much. He got up and I heard him walked towards me. "Hey, Spike?" Spike paused. "Yeah?" "I just want to ask you one thing." They both quieted down. "What's that?" "Is it for the girl?" I stopped breathing. Was Jet referring to Julia? "She's dead. There's nothing I can do for her now." I got up quickly and ran back to Spike's room before he saw me. I was going to wait for him.

But as I turned the corner, I heard the click of a gun. Stupid Faye! What the hell does she think she's doing? I ignored her. She wouldn't shoot Spike… Would she? Just as I entered Spike's room I heard five gun shots. My breathing stopped for a moment. 'No, she wouldn't…' My thoughts were cut short as Spike's room door opened. "Spike…" I rushed towards him and embraced him. We fell to the floor and I kissed him passionately. I clutched his shirt and he held me. "Spike, why did you leave?" I cried. Tears were sliding down my cheeks. He kissed them away. "I had to take care of something. I'm back now, but not for long. This will be the last thing I have to take care of, and then I'll be free. After this, I can live my life with you." I nudged my head against his chest. "Spike, will you promise me you will return?" He nodded, "I promise." "I thought you were gone for good. Everyone was saying you could have already been dead, but I didn't believe them. God, I wanted to tell them they were wrong. But I didn't have proof you were still alive. You don't know what I was going through, Spike." He held me close. "I want you to be safe, Hal. I didn't want you to become involved. I still have a war to win, the last battle is coming, and I can feel it approaching. No matter what happens, hold on to what you have left because once it's gone, there is nothing tying you to this universe. Whatever you do, Halifax, promise me that if I die, you will live on." My eyes widened. "No, Spike, I won't promise. I won't love another man the way I love you. If you die, I'll die along side you. If you live, I'll live by your side for the rest of our lives, no matter how short they are. I will stay by you, Spike." "Well… If that's what you choose, then I can't change your mind." Hal embraced Spike, "Just hold me Spike. Hold me and never let me go…I want to be with you forever…" Spike wrapped his arms around me. "I want to be with you too, Hal. Forever."

I watched him leave for a second time, not knowing whether he would return again or not. Julia was dead. Vicious was still alive. The last battle in the war was about to be fought, and no one knew who was going to win. I believed in Spike. I had all my faith in him. I had everything and nothing to lose. I had all my chips on the table and I was praying to be the lucky winner.


	5. Chapter 5

**_The Real Folk Blues_**

_Chapter Five: The End of It All  
><em>

_The Final Chapter_

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop or any CB characters. I do, however, own my OC (Halifax Raye Foster). Credit for the title goes to the creators of CB.

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><p>Just as Spike had said, I could feel the battle too. I placed a tracking dot on his ship before he left. After twenty minutes had passed, I climbed into the Red Tail. I started it up and was just about to leave when Faye and Jet stopped me. "Hal, that ship isn't good to fly." Jet proclaimed. "I don't care! I'm going after Spike!" Faye intervened, "You'll get yourself killed!" I snapped. "I don't care! If Spike dies, I will too. If he lives, so will I. I love Spike with every fiber of my being. Nothing can change that." I kick started the Red Tail and I was out of there faster than they could say my full name, Halifax Raye Foster.<p>

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As I approached the scene, Spike was stumbling down the red-carpeted stairs. He was covered in blood and clutching his side. I staggered forward but stopped momentarily. Spike smiled and looked me in the eyes. He brought up his right hand and pointed a finger to the sky. He murmured a single word before he collapsed. "Bang" He fell to the ground. I rushed to his side and yelled for someone to get a paramedic. "Spike! Stay with me! You can't leave me! I love you, Spike! You know that!" I cried. Tears rushed down my cheeks. "Please, Spike, hold on for my sake!" I held him close and we kissed our last kiss. He went limp, and I heard a scream fill the air. That scream was my own. I screamed until all else became utterly silent and my voice ceased to work. I cried a lot that night. Nothing could save me from what fate had brought upon me. I lost the only man I had ever loved; the only people I had left were Faye and Jet. Two best friends could never fill the gap of what I had lost. My lifespan now ticked away even faster than before, it was speeding by at a million miles per hour. A crash was eminent. Something that is speeding so fast has to stop sometime, and slamming on the breaks will only slow it down, but the crash is still going to happen no matter what. My life came to a shrieking halt before that 'crash of fate'.

.

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The last few nights of my life were the most painful any one man could endure. Spike was gone, gone forever, and he was never coming home. He died in my arms and I could still feel his weight. I lay in his bed for what seemed like years, but in reality, was only days. I was frantic, dejected, and the last thought scared me, suicidal. Nobody came into Spike's room. No one moved his stuff or packed it away into boxes. Everything remained the same, they saw what was coming. Jet and Faye were fixing to lose the last person they had left, me.

My last day in the universe came quicker than expected. If I decided that I wanted to live on, I would remember that I would always feel the guilt of Spike's death. I couldn't stop him; he had to do what he had to do. But he was killed in the end. With his last breath, he said, "I love you, Halifax, don't you ever forget it." His body became limp and he no longer stirred. I remember that last instant before I put my gun to my temple. The 9 mm Spike had given me for my birthday last year seared on my skin. The cold metal pressed up against my head.

10…9…8...

This was it; this is what I had lived for. I lived 24 years and in those 24 years so much had happened. I was born, my parents and sister were killed in an accident, and I ran away from my past. Then I got a new life of playing jazz, working at bars, and living with a guy whose only friend was his saxophone. But I ran away from that, too, only to arrive on the death's doorstep until I was saved by Faye Valentine. From then on, I lived the modest life of a bounty hunter. I fell in love with Spike Spiegel. I lived happily for two years until Julia reappeared and Spike chased after her, only for her to be shot and killed. He came back to the Bebop but not for long. He had one final errand to take care of before he could live out the rest of his days with me. Only… He didn't return home and he never would.

7…6…5…4…

All those memories came flooding back. One by one they penetrated my mind, seeping into the core of my being. Memories of my family and I, my new life as a jazz player, and my life with Spike. Kiss, after kiss, after kiss. I looked up at the door one last time. Nobody was going to stop me. They wanted my pain to go away! I looked to my left. There on the nightstand was an empty liquor bottle, an ashtray, and a picture of Spike and I. We were so happy together. Tears escaped my eyes. I looked to my right. I gasped as I gazed upon Spike! He was there, standing right before me! He smiled at me. 'This has to be a hallucination! Spike is dead! I saw him die! Why is he standing right here?' I yelled to myself. He held out his hand, "Hal, come on. Everyone's waiting for you." Suddenly, my family appeared next to him. My mother, my father, and my sister Lily. Now they were all holding out their hands. I smiled as my last few tears dropped onto the floor.. My heaven had arrived.

3…2…1…

I pulled the trigger and everything ended.


End file.
